Bobby Copeland: Who Was the John Doe Found at the Marco Polo Hotel?

DISCOVERY:

On January 5, 1988, a maid entered Room 227 of the Marco Polo Hotel and came crossed a grisly sight: the deceased assemblage of a young male.

The young antheral had been successful the Miami, Florida, country with a radical of young radical who were moving arsenic mag salespersons. He’d been staying astatine the Collins Avenue edifice during this time.

AUTOPSY:

An autopsy was performed, which showed that the decedent had died lone a fewer hours earlier helium was discovered. The origin of decease was stabbing, with astir a twelve wounds noted crossed his body.

DETAILS:

John Doe is described arsenic a White antheral betwixt the ages of 10 and 21, with estimates placing him person to 16-to-20 years old. He was 5’6″ gangly and weighed betwixt 145 and 150 pounds. He had abbreviated airy brownish oregon blond hairsbreadth that was longer successful the backmost and extended down his neck, and his eyes were either grey oregon brownish successful colour.

When found, the decedent was wearing a achromatic garment with a emblem decal, bluish jeans, achromatic ankle socks, and achromatic and bluish high-top sneakers. Women’s covering was recovered adjacent the body.

John Doe was successful bully dental health, with nary grounds of treatment. He had galore scars connected his body: a 4″ linear scar connected the flexor aboveground of his near forearm; a 1″ circular scar connected the frontal aboveground of his close forearm; a 2.2″ scar connected the anterior imaginable of his close thigh; a 1″ scar connected his near wrist; and 4 further scars connected his close wrist.

The decedent had fixed the names “Bob”, “Robert” and “Bobby Copeland” to others, and helium had claimed to beryllium a runaway foster kid from New York State. Subsequent investigations nether that sanction brought up nary results, and it was aboriginal discovered he’d been utilizing the societal information fig (SSN) of different individual.

John Doe’s slayer was identified and arrested. Mark Robinson, a runaway from Georgia, had been staying astatine the Marco Polo Hotel astatine the clip helium committed the crime. He was arrested successful Las Vegas, Nevada.

RULE OUTS:

1. Anthony Ross Allen, who went missing from Fort Smith, Arkansas, connected October 1, 1978.
2. Steven Eugene Anderson, who went missing from New Lisbon, New Jersey, connected April 7, 1975.
3. Steve Lewis Arrowood, Jr., who went missing from Gastonia, North Carolina, connected April 3, 1975.
4. Roger Cerda, who went missing from Bay City, Texas, connected June 29, 1975.
5. Michael Fischer, who went missing from Bloomfield, Connecticut, connected August 14, 1984.
6. Michael James “Mike” Gaughan, who went missing from El Paso, Texas, connected July 20, 1975.
7. Robert Eugene Hampton, who went missing from Port Orchard, Washington, connected November 26, 1986.
8. Reed Taylor Jeppson, who went missing from Salt Lake City, Utah, connected October 12, 1964.
9. Danny Lee Jones, who went missing from Gilmer, Texas, connected September 1, 1974.
10. Robert Keck, who went missing from Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, connected June 30, 1979.
11. John Mitchell Kinsora, Jr., who went missing from Phoenix, Arizona, connected February 2, 1982.
12. Randy Wayne Leach, who went missing from Linwood, Kansas, connected April 15, 1988.
13. Rodney Wayne Longman, who went missing from Miami, Florida, connected May 15, 1985.
14. Darrel B. Nichols, who went missing from Park City, Utah, connected April 1, 1973.
15. Brian Joseph Page, who went missing from Salem, Oregon, connected January 12, 1975.
16. Alan Keith Stanfill, who went missing from Jacksonville, Florida, connected January 13, 1988.
17. Tom Ray Starkel, who went missing from Palmdale, California, connected December 5, 1979.
18. Christopher William Vigil, who went missing from Poudre Park, Colorado, connected April 30, 1978.
19. Terry Dale Wallace, who went missing from Youngwood, Pennsylvania, connected November 17, 1982.
20. Mitchel Fred Weiser, who went missing from Narrowsburg, New York, connected July 27, 1973.
21. Chester Ralph Wetmore, who went missing from Bradenton, Florida, connected May 26, 1986.

CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:

John Doe’s dentals, fingerprints and DNA are disposable for comparison.

Anyone with accusation is asked to interaction the Homicide Bureau of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office astatine (305) 471-2400 oregon the Florida Department of Law Enforcement astatine +1 (888) 356-4774. Tips tin besides beryllium called into the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office astatine (305) 545-2400.

Image Credit: NCMEC/The Doe Network

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